Mackenzie Dye

Lindsay Lohan’s half-sister revealed

Michael Lohan revealed to the world that he had an unknown 17-year-old daughter on The Trisha Goddard Show. The father of Lindsay Lohan underwent a DNA test on the talk show and the results were positive, meaning that the Montana teen is the result of an affair Lohan had while married to ex-wife Dina Lohan.

Michael Lohan met his daughter, Ashley Horn, on the talk show for the first time. Her mother, Krista Horn Kauffman, accompanied Ashley during the big reveal. After agreeing to open the results envelope herself, Ashley seemed less than thrilled to be the daughter of Michael Lohan, and half-sister of Lindsay.

After a moment of silence and the host Trisha Goddard announced the results, Ashley Horn handed the envelope to Michael Lohan and said, “Just to prove it to you.” Her mother began to cry, and said to Lohan, “You have another daughter, and you missed out on 17 years of her life.”

After Michael Lohan broke his stoic silence by attempting to hug his newly found daughter, Ashley seemed uncomfortable by the affectionate gesture. She stiffened and backed away from Lohan, stating that this is the first time she has met him.

Despite Michael Lohan’s calmness during the life-changing ordeal, eventually he did lose his temper and storm off set because of Goddard’s questions. “I’m not playing with Trisha’s game; she’s a prosecutor, not a defense attorney…she’s not even getting the truth,” said Lohan backstage.

Ashley Horn is the sixth child Michael has father, four with ex-wife Dina Lohan, and he is currently expecting a baby with girlfriend Kate Major. His famous daughter, Lindsay Lohan of Liz and Dick has said she did not know about her half-sister.

The endangered dogs attacked the boy after he fell into the exhibit

Pittsburgh Zoo officials have closed the zoo until further notice after a 2-year-old boy that fell into the African painted dog exhibit was attacked and killed. The head of the zoo says a medical examiner concluded the child was killed by the animals, and not by the fall into the exhibit.

The toddler’s mother placed the boy onto a wooden rail above the Pittsburgh Zoo exhibit, and although there is a net below the rail to prevent this type of situation, the boy bounced off the net and into the exhibit 14 feet below. The CEO and president of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, Barbara Baker, said that the animals attacked the boy so quickly that the boy could not be rescued from the dogs, according to CBS News.

Once the boy fell into the enclosure, visitors of the Pittsburgh Zoo told staff immediately, and before any officials could arrive it was too late. Pittsburgh police arrived on the scene along with other zoo staff. The dogs were called back into the building, and only seven dogs responded instantly. Eventually three more went away from the boy, but one dog remained and had to be shot by police.

The African wild dogs are part of the Pittsburgh Zoo Painted Dog Bush Camp exhibit are known as cape hunting dogs. The dogs are as big as medium-sized domestic dogs, and are considered an endangered species. This set of African wild dogs were the second to be raised in captivity.

Osborne opted for preventative surgery

Sharon Osbourne has made a drastic, but smart, decision to prevent herself from developing breast cancer. The mother and wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne underwent a double mastectomy after doctors warned she was likely to develop the disease.

Having battled colon cancer a decade ago, Sharon Osbourne decided to take preventative action against breast cancer, which she is genetically likely according to her physicians. She had the surgery last summer, but told U.K.’s Hello! magazine about her decision recently according to NY Daily News.

“As soon as I found out I had the breast cancer gene, I thought, ‘The odds are not in my favor,’ ” Sharon Obsourne told Hello!, “I didn’t want to live the rest of my life with that shadow hanging over me.”

Her decision to have a double mastectomy came at a time when her son, Jack Osbourne, was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system through the brain and spinal cord. Jack was diagnosed just after the birth of his daughter, Pearl. This new bundle of joy and Jack’s condition also affected Sharon Osbourne’s decision, which she called a “no-brainer.”

“I want to be around for a long time and be a grandmother to Pearl,” she said of her decision, “I didn’t even think of my breasts in a nostalgic way. I just wanted to be able to live my life without that fear all the time.”

Sharon Osbourne is a former reality T.V. star from the MTV show The Osbournes and former America’s Got Talent judge. Osbourne is now the co-host of The Talk.

Both New Jersey and New York commuters are delayed

NJ Transit services are trying their best to get back up and running for commuters, but even with the revival of a couple of trains there, Sandy’s effects are still hitting citizens. Monday, Nov. 5 was the first day morning commute since New Jersey and New York rail and subways systems were damaged by the storm, and those used to waking up and taking the train to work are feeling crowded and incredibly delayed.

NJ Transit may have reopened the New Jersey Coast Line route Monday morning, but it was forced to a close after crowding threatened the safety of its customers, according to the Wall Street Journal. The service was already limited for the line that goes between Woodbridge, N.J. and New York Penn Station, and the overcrowding that began at 6 a.m. brought the service just an hour later.

Over in New York City, commuters that use MTA buses, L and G trains were feeling the loss of their subway system as they had to expect commutes that may be double to time than usual. With certain routes not functional, commuters had to reroute their commutes to simply arrive in the vicinity of their offices. Like NJ Transit users, New York commuters have to make changes that increasingly frusterating.

Hurricane Sandy may have cleared up for this region of the U.S., but the effects are still felt as those who live in New York and New Jersey must find a way to get through their days without proper NY and NJ Transit. Officials are working hard to get transit back to their previous condition.

The American indie band performed the slower-paced ‘Carry On’

Fun., the once indie pop turned top 40 band, acted as musical guest for the Nov. 3 episode of Saturday Night Live. Although the band is known for their vocal-laden track We Are Young, the group opted not to perform last year’s hit.

Fun. performed the title track from the 2012 album, Some Nights, which was released in February 2012. In addition to Some Nights, they also played a new track titled Carry On, the video for which has been recently released. Bringing both high energy and slower-paced anthem to a recently tragic New York City, fun. led those in the SNL audience to try to forget the devastation that was Hurricane Sandy.

Fun.’s performance on Saturday Night Live complemented the comedic styling Louis CK brought as the live show’s host. With skits such as an Abraham Lincoln spoof of Louis CK’s FX show Louie and a parody of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s signer during a press conference, both fun. and Louis CK brought life back to New York City.

The band is a melting pot of other indie bands, including Nate Reuss who once crooned for The Format, and Andrew Dost of Anathallo and Jack Antanoff of Steel Train. Antanoff is rumored to be dating Lena Dunham, creator and star of the hit HBO series Girls.

The presidential candidate was tax exempt for 15 years

Mitt Romney’s tax returns have been asked for consistently during his campaign for president, and a new report shows that he used loopholes in the tax structure to be tax exempted for 15 years.

Romney tax returns show that although what he did was legal, it did utilize certain tax shelters that were cracked down on by Congress in 1997. Bloomberg reports that what Mitt Romney did was use a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) in order to reduce the amount he owed come tax season, which he was allowed to keep because the CRUT was established prior to 1997.

These trusts allow those with high incomes to utilize a charities tax-exempt status, and Romney tax returns show his use of the CRUTs Congress is against. The trust Romney set up was with the Mormon Church, to which he and his family have been prominent members.

While Romney tax returns show that this trust is only a small dent in the $250 million he is worth, the trust has allowed him to defer capital gain taxes on any profit from the sale of the assets. Romney has received small upfront charitable tax deduction, and cash payments yearly from the church.

The charitable remainder trust has gained him 8 percent of the Church’s assets each year, and as the Romneys continue to receive these payments, the amount left for the church in the event the funder dies has declined.

Romney tax returns may have been released earlier in his campaigning, but with use of the Freedom of Information Act, those curious have looked deeper into his tax history.

The star is haunted by naked pictures past

Kat Dennings may be known for her blunt and candid nature on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls, but in reality nude photos being leaked is a horror too revealing.

Nearly two years ago to the day, the pictures of Kat Dennings posing nude that first leaked in November 2010 are now resurfacing on the Internet. The photos appear to be taken in a bedroom, and show Dennings taking off her shirt and another posing nude with her phone.

Although some are from the neck down, there are some that show what could be Kat Dennings face. It looks like they were taken for her pleasure with the purpose of one other’s eyes. The photos were received after her phone was hacked.

Kat Dennings has been on the rise to stardom since her film opposite Michael Cera, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. She also has appeared in the comic-to-film series Thor in addition to her role as Max on 2 Broke Girls.

The CBS sitcom has gotten in trouble for its crude and controversial tone, just as Dennings may be after these naked photos have leaked not once, but twice. Someone seems to have gotten in trouble, because the photos that once appeared on TMZ Zoo have since been taken down.

Hopefully, this will be the last time naked photos of Kat Dennings surface, because as time goes on, she is becoming more and more of a star.

The Washington Redskins player ejected from game

DeAngelo Hall not only cost his time, the Washington Redskins, 30 yards during their Oct. 28 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he also was ejected after nearly fighting an official with just four minutes left in the game.

Although the team was already on their way to a loss against the Steelers, DeAngelo Hall went off on an official, taking off his helmet and confronting a call. Although he never became physically violent, the threat was enough to have him restrained by teammates and officials.

After tussling with receiver Emmanuel Sanders, DeAngelo Hall had to be calmed down by head linesman Dana Mckenzie, according to the Washington Post. Already heated, hall aggressively confronted the official by getting into his face and screaming profanities. Two flags were thrown before he was apprehended by linebacker London Fletcher, and Hall was ejected with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

The incident does not look good for DeAngelo Hall, or his team the Washington Redskins. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is disappointed in Hall’s behavior given his encouragement to maintain composure in those situations.

“I’m very disappointed. We talk all the time about keeping your composure regardless of what happens, regardless of what the situation is. You never put your team in that type of situation,” said Shanahan.

Army guards stand up to Hurricane Sandy

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guards have stood resilient in the face of what is now a state of emergency on the East Coast. Although cities are being called to evacuate in the impending presence of Hurricane Sandy, a few have stood up to the superstorm’s forces.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Va. has its guards standing strong and offering inspiration in a time of uncertainty for many in the U.S. Soliders of the 3rd Infantry Regiment continue to stand despite weather conditions.

A tweet from the Veterans Affairs Twitter account went viral, which featured a photo of a guard in the midst of rain from September.

“MT @missioncontinue Incredible – Unfazed by #Sandy, soldiers stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns bit.ly/S8zZIS,” the tweet read.

The Old Guard has guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24 hours a day, 365 days a year since April 6, 1948. The tomb is the grave of an unidentified soldier, and the site remains to commemorate unknown soldiers from World Wars I and II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War.

Mr. Rogers appears in viral video from 1969

Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood speaks from 1969 in defense of PBS in viral video. The video’s relevence is evident in the aftermath of Mitt Romney’s threat to cut funding during the first presidential debate. In the video, Rogers emphasizes the importance of PBS in children’s educational television.

In the video, Fred Rogers goes over the initial budget for Mr. Rogers’, which was a mere $30 dollars per episode. After funding from several contributors like the Sears-Roebuck Foundation, National Educational Television and all affiliated stations, the program had a program of $6,000 dollars at the time of the video.

Despite how much $6,000 seemed to be as a budget for the program, Fred Rogers emphasizes the difference between his show and other programs aimed for children, like animated series.

“It may sound like quite a difference, but $6,000 pays for less than two minutes of cartoons; two minutes of animated, what I sometimes say, bombardment. I am very much concerned, as I know you are, about what’s being delivered to our children in this country,” said Fred Rogers to Congress, “We deal with such things as the inner drama of childhood.”

Fred Rogers and his sentiments come at a time when Mitt Romney is threatening to take away public broadcast by cutting PBS funding. As if it was spoken directly to Romney and those who agree with him, Rogers says in the video that what is taught to children on programs funded by “viewers like you” is important because it teaches children they are cared for.

“We’ve got to have more of this neighborhood expression of care,” Rogers said. “And this is what I give: I give an expression of care, every day to each child to help him realize that he is unique.”

Just as those from Sesame Street (see Big Bird’s appearance on Saturday Night Live) are defending the values taught during their programs today, Fred Rogers believed that programs on PBS do a service to children’s mental health. He says in the video this expression and teaching of care is something not to be thrown away.

“I end the program by saying, ‘You’ve made this day a special day by just your being you. There’s no person in the world like you, and I like you just the way you are.’ I feel that if we and public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health,” said Fred Rogers to Congress.

Although the video is from over 40 years ago, once again YouTube has shed light on a moment from the past that still has relevance in today’s world. Fred Rogers’ educational show for children ran for 33 years, and ended two years before his death in 2003.